PUTRAJAYA, May 30 - Lina Joy lost her final round of appeal when the Federal Court dismissed on Wednesday her appeal against a ruling that the National Registration Department was right not to allow her to remove the word "Islam" from her identity card.

On Sept 19, 2005, the Court of Appeal decided that the NRD director-general was right in refusing her application to drop her religious status from her IC on the grounds that the Syariah Court and other Islamic religious authorities did not confirm Linas renunciation of Islam. theStarOnline

Berne, Switzerland - Members of the right-wing Swiss People's Party, currently the largest party in the Swiss parliament, have launched a campaign to have the building of minarets banned.

They claim the minaret is not necessary for worship, but is rather a symbol of Islamic law, and as such incompatible with Switzerland's legal system.

Signatures are now being collected to force a nationwide referendum on the issue which, under Switzerland's system of direct democracy, would be binding.

Picture - Swiss Muslims pray in disused factories and warehouses

The move has shocked Switzerland's 350,000 Muslims, many of whom have been campaigning for decades for more recognition for their faith.

In theory Switzerland is a secular state, whose constitution guarantees freedom of religious expression to all. In practice however mosques in Switzerland tend to be confined to disused warehouses and factories.

Across the country, there are only two small minarets, one in Zurich and one in Geneva, neither of which are permitted to make the call to prayer. In Switzerland's capital Berne, the largest mosque is in a former underground car park.

Plans rejected

In the small town of Langenthal, just outside Berne, plans to build a very modest minaret have been put on ice following thousands of objections.

Langenthal's mosque is housed in a former paint factory on the outskirts of town.

Mutalip Karaademi, an ethnic Albanian who has lived in Switzerland for 26 years, was at first pleased when his proposal for a 5m-high (16.5ft) minaret was approved by the local authority.

But following a vociferous campaign against the plans, including a petition with thousands of signatures, the cantonal government in Berne delayed the project indefinitely.

"We are very disappointed," said Mr Karaademi. "We just wanted to do our mosque up a bit, with this small minaret and a tea room. We actually thought it might promote dialogue."

Mr Karaademi is also bitter at what he sees as unfair discrimination against his faith. "I even gave them a written undertaking that we would never make the call to prayer," he said. "They seem to think we are all criminals or terrorists - that's like saying all Italians are in the mafia."

Islamic law

But supporters of a ban on minarets say they have no intention of preventing anyone from practising their faith.

"We don't have anything against Muslims," said Oskar Freysinger, member of parliament for the Swiss People's Party.

"But we don't want minarets. The minaret is a symbol of a political and aggressive Islam, it's a symbol of Islamic law. The minute you have minarets in Europe it means Islam will have taken over."

Mr Freysinger's words may sound extreme, even paranoid, but this is a general election year in Switzerland, and the campaign against minarets is playing well with voters.

A recent opinion poll for one Swiss newspaper found that 43% of those surveyed were in favour of a ban on minarets.

"We have our civil laws here," insisted Mr Freysinger. "Banning minarets would send a clear signal that our European laws, our Swiss laws, have to be accepted. And if you want to live here, you must accept them. If you don't, then go back."

Growing resentment

It's a harsh message for Swiss Muslims, many of whom were born in Switzerland. There are fears that the campaign against minarets will provoke growing resentment against Swiss society.

"I think Swiss Muslims will be angry and bitter over this," said Reinhard Schulze, professor of Islamic Studies at BerneUniversity. "And we know that anger and bitterness among a community can lead to radicalisation, even to militancy."

The Swiss government is extremely nervous about the prospect of militancy among Swiss Muslims; three cabinet ministers have already spoken out against the campaign to ban minarets.

There is also a growing fear that the debate will damage Switzerland's traditionally good relations with the Arab world.

May 28 - A Japanese government minister has died, after hanging himself in his apartment in central Tokyo, police say.

Toshikatsu Matsuoka, the Japanese farming minister was found unconscious in his home and taken to hospital, where he later died.

His death came just hours before he was due to be questioned over a scandal involving misuse of political funds.

File photo - Japanese Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka, left, listens to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns during their news conference at the Agriculture Department in Washington in this Jan. 11, 2007

His suicide is the latest blow to Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, whose approval ratings have plummeted since he took office last year.

The death comes less than months before an election for parliament's upper house, a key test for Abe's leadership.

Matsuoka, 62, was found unconscious in his room at a residential complex for legislators near parliament in the centre of the Japanese capital.

He was then taken to hospital where he was confirmed dead, Japan's chief cabinet secretary told reporters.

Scandals

Media reports have linked Matsuoka to a number of political fund scandals, including a case in which he had declared substantial office expenditures when his office was in fact rent-free.

Last week, media said the minister had received political donations from businessmen involved in a bid-rigging scandal.

Matsuoka has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Support for Abe's cabinet has plunged to 32 per cent, down 11 percentage points from a similar poll in April, according to a weekend survey by the national Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.

A separate poll by the Nikkei business daily showed Abe's popularity falling to 41 per cent, down 12 percentage points from the previous month.

Both polls cited dissatisfaction with the government's apparent loss of pension payment records for millions of people. Agencies

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Hamas Flays Arab Silence Over Israel’s Crimes

Kudus Yolu, May 27 - The Hamas’ prominent political leader Dr. Nezar Rayyan, for his part, deprecated the “unexplainable” Arab passiveness towards the ongoing Israeli massacres against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip.

He also questioned the advantage of the Arab military arsenal if it will remain stocked in military storehouses and not use in defending Palestine and the Arab and Muslim Ummah. In this regard, Rayyan asserted that the locally-made Palestinian rockets proved to be more advantageous and more effective than the Arab military arsenal, asserting, “Our locally-made rockets is a strong weapon in our hands that despite their limited range proved to be stronger than the rusting Arab arms”. “It seems that Arab weapons were only destined to be used against fellow Arabs and not against enemies of the Arab and Muslim Ummah”, Rayyan charged. He also lashed at security apparatuses in a number of Arab countries for chasing and arresting those raising funds in favor of the Palestinian people and to support the legitimate Palestinian resistance. Finally, Rayyan affirmed that the road to liberation was clear before Hamas, and thus, Hamas, he added, will pursue its national venture regardless of the price it might pay for it.

Nahr Al-Bared, Lebanon, May 27 - The United States sent more ammunition on Saturday to Lebanon, whose army is struggling to defeat a group of heavily armed Islamist militants holed up inside a Palestinian refugee camp.

Three US Air Force cargo planes landed at Beirut's airport and unloaded ammunition and other equipment for the army, airport sources said. Six planes carrying similar military aid from the US and Arab allies arrived on Friday.

The shipments, promised months ago but rushed after fighting erupted between the army and Fatah Al Islam on May 20, arrived as Lebanese soldiers beefed up their positions around Nahr Al Bared camp, the militants' main base.

Fatah Al Islam has claimed to have over 500 fighters with automatic weapons, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, inside the camp.

US arms are a sensitive issue in a nation deeply divided between supporters of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora's government and an opposition backed by America's Mideast foes, Iran and Syria. The Shiite Hezbollah-led opposition accuses Siniora of having too close ties to Washington.

UK energy firm BG Group has confirmed it is in talks to agree a contract to supply Palestinian gas to Israel.

BG discovered the Gaza Marine field, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority, off the coast of the Gaza Strip in 2000.

Any deal would represent a landmark in Middle Eastern relations, but BG said it would first require agreement between both governments.

Israel has previously vowed never to buy gas from its neighbour.

Lengthy negotiations

"We have been in negotiation with Israel for many, many months," said a BG spokeswoman.

Gaza Strip : The gas field is located off the coast of the Gaza Strip

"Most importantly, we need a bilateral agreement between both governments to get the go-ahead on this. We are working on that."

BG, previously part of British Gas, is seeking a 15-year contract.

According to press reports, BG is hoping to sign a $4bn (£2bn) deal that would see the Palestinian Authority receive $1bn in royalties.

Under the proposals, BG would transport gas from the Gaza Marine field through an undersea pipeline to the Israeli port of Ashkelon.

The field contains one trillion cubic feet of gas, and could reportedly supply 10% of Israel's annual needs.

If the project gets the go-ahead it would be a major boost to the economies in the Palestinian controlled territories.

Ongoing violence, especially in the Gaza Strip, has seen much economic activity grind to a halt, leaving the territories heavily reliant upon financial aid from overseas. Published by BBC on May 23, 2007.

May 26 - A tense standoff between the Lebanese military and Fatah al-Islam at a Palestinian refugee camp has continued into its fourth day, as the US flew further aid to the Lebanese army.

Civilians continued fleeing from the Nahr al- Bared camp on Saturday as the army's siege of the area continued amid sporadic exchanges of gunfire.

The UN has called for the protection of thousands of civilians trapped by the Lebanese army's siege of the camp.

The aid arrived on Saturday, airport officials said, a day after Hezbollah's leader warned the country risked fighting a war "on behalf of the Americans".

In a televised speech on Friday, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Shia opposition group Hezbollah, criticised US military involvement, saying that Lebanon risked getting dragged into America's war against al-Qaeda.

"The problem in the north can be solved politically and through the judiciary," he said.

The Lebanese army has besieged Fatah al-Islam, an al-Qaeda linked group made up of fighters from across the region, since Saturday.

Nasrallah said the situation could still be solved "in a way that protects the Lebanese army, our Palestinian brothers, the state and peace and stability without transforming Lebanon into a battleground".

He said accepting US help would draw more fighters into the country and potentially destabilise it.

"Political negotiations"

The US-supplied aid is a sensitive issue in Lebanon, where opposition leaders accuses the government of working to Washington's agenda.

Palestinian factions have been seeking a negotiated solution to end the siege and avert a battle between the Lebanese army and Fatah al-Islam as thousands of civilians who remain in the Nahr al-Bared camp will be in the line of fire.

Osama Hamdan, Hamas' representative in Lebanon, said that "as long as we agree on the necessity of a solution and we speak with a language of solution then there is optimism".

Elias Murr, the Lebanese defence minister, said on Friday he was "leaving room for political negotiations", which he said must lead to the surrender of the fighters from Fatah al-Islam.

"If the political negotiations fail, I leave it to the military command to do what is necessary," he told reporters.

Civilians flee camp

On Saturday, more civilians, mostly women and children, were reported to have fled from the refugee camp as the army's siege of the area continued amid sporadic exchanges of gunfire.

Meanwhile, the UN has called for the protection of thousands of civilians trapped by the Lebanese army's siege of the camp.

"An estimated 10,000 civilians remain in the embattled camp with only sporadic humanitarian support during very brief ceasefire periods," the Unicef, UN children's agency, said.

"Children living in Nahr al-Bared have been through unspeakable trauma," it added.

"Already living in a refugee situation, they have witnessed their homes being destroyed, loved ones being killed or injured, and were trapped in their homes hearing the terrifying sounds of gunfire around them."

Fighting between the Lebanese military and Fatah al-Islam has left scores dead, destroyed houses and triggered a flood of refugees from the camp, which had a population before the fighting of more than 31,000, according to UN figures.

About half of Nahr el-Bared's population of 31,000 fled the camp during the truce, flooding into the nearby Beddawi camp.

At least 20 civilians and 30 soldiers were killed in the fighting earlier this week.

The Lebanese military says 60 Fatah al-Islam fighters were killed, though the group put the toll at 10. Agencies

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Nasrallah warns against camp clash

May 25 - Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, has cautioned the Lebanese government against storming the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon where fighters are holding out against Lebanese troops.

In a televised speech on Friday, he also criticised US weapons aid to the Lebanese army, saying that Lebanon risked getting dragged into America's war against al-Qaeda.

Nasrallah said: "The problem in the north can be solved politically and through the judiciary in a way that protects the Lebanese army, our Palestinian brothers, the state and peace and stability without transforming Lebanon into a battleground in which we fight al-Qaeda on behalf of the Americans."

He said accepting US help would draw more fighters into the country and potentially destabilise it.

First comment

It was the first comment by the powerful anti-government leader on the military's standoff with the Fatah al-Islam group.

As a Shia group, Hezbollah views Sunni fighters like Fatah al-Islam as enemies.

Nasrallah said the Fatah Islam fighters who attacked the military should be brought to justice.

But he said Hezbollah opposed any military incursion into the camp to crush the fighters.

He said: "The Nahr el-Bared camp and Palestinian civilians are a red line. We will not accept or provide cover or be partners in this."

'Dangerous thing'

Hezbollah and its supporters accuse Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, of being a puppet of the US and are pushing for his removal.

Nasrallah called a large airlifting of US military supplies to the Lebanese military to help in the Nahr el-Bared fight "a dangerous thing".

He said: "Does it concern us that we start a conflict with al-Qaeda in Lebanon and consequently attract members and fighters of al-Qaeda from all over the world to Lebanon to conduct their battle with the Lebanese army and the rest of the Lebanese?" Agencies

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Lebanon gets US aid for camp battle

May 25 - US air force airplanes have delivered military equipment to the Lebanese army, a Western diplomat and security officials have said.

The Lebanese government had requested more military aid from Washington after the eruption of fighting between the army and the Fatah al-Islam group in a Palestinian refugee camp in the north of the country.

IRKUTSK, Russia, May 24 (Bernama) - Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Chief Jen Datuk Seri Azizan Ariffin said the Sukhoi Su-30MKM multi-role fighter jet is a tactical and strategic asset to RMAF as its ability to cover long distances puts it on par with the air forces of neighbouring states.

"The Su-30MKM will act as a deterrent to parties that try to threaten the sovereignty of Malaysia," said Azizan when signing an early acceptance certificate for the delivery of two Su-30MKMs (M52-01 and M52-02) from representatives of Russian state corporation Rosoboronexport and the Irkut Aircraft Corporation here today.

The RMAF Chief arrived in this eastern Siberian city yesterday piloting a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

"Today is a historical day for the RMAF as the Su-30MKMs delivered are the most sophisticated multi-role aircraft in Southeast Asia," he told reporters at the Irkut Aircraft Corporation's runway with temperatures dipping to -10 degrees Celcius.

The two Su-30MKM jets are the first of 18 ordered by RMAF in May 2003 at a cost of RM3.42 billion (USD900 million).

The Malaysian delegation comprising senior RMAF officers and the media were treated to a 10-minute aerobatics show by a squadron of Su-30MKM jets.

Azizan said the two Sukhoi planes would be delivered in June using the Antonov AN-124 transport aircraft to the RMAF base in Gong Kedak, Kelantan.

The sixteen others will be delivered in stages between the end of the year and mid-2008.

Azizan said the fighters will be equipped with sophisticated air-to-air RVV-AE missiles.

RVV-AE is the Russian acronym for Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile or AMRAAMski in defence circles and is said to be as good if not better than the United States-made AMRAAMs.

Other than Malaysia, Singapore is believed to have equipped its F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft with AMRAAMs.

The Su-30MKMs can fly for 4.5 hours with a range of 3,000km on a normal fuel tank, but with inflight refuelling, the time and distance can be extended to 10 hours and 8,000 km.

They are also equipped with high-powered radars to detect targets from afar enabling them to double up as early warning aircraft.

Meanwhile, the deputy general director of Rosoboronexport, Victor Komardin, said the RMAF's Su-30MKMs were the most versatile and modern multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) aircraft in the world.

"They have the most modern engine, avionics and weapons systems," he said.

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Navy Stages Show of Force Off IranCoast

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, May 23 - The U.S. Navy staged its latest show of military force off the Iranian coastline on Wednesday, sending two aircraft carriers and landing ships packed with 17,000 U.S. Marines and sailors to carry out unannounced exercises in the Persian Gulf.

The carrier strike groups led by the USS John C. Stennis and USS Nimitz were joined by the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard and its own strike group, which includes landing ships carrying members of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The Navy said nine U.S. warships passed through the narrow Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Merchant ships passing through the busy strait carry two-fifths of the world's oil exports.

Aircraft aboard the three carriers and the Bonhomme Richard were to conduct air training while the ships ran submarine, mine and other exercises.

The maneuvers came just two months after a previous exercise in March when two U.S. carrier groups carried out two days of air and sea maneuvers off the Iranian coast.

Before the arrival of the Bonhomme Richard strike group, the Navy maintained around 20,000 U.S personnel at sea in the Gulf and neighboring waters.

U.S. warships have frequently collided with merchant ships in the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf. - AP

TOKYO, May 22 (Bernama) - The Public Works Department (PWD) is responsible for maintenance of government buildings and there should be no "finger-pointing" whenever a defect occurs, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today.

The Prime Minister said he had told Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu that matters pertaining to maintenance of government buildings was under the PWD's jurisdiction and accusations as to who was responsible must stop as it would only lead to embarrassment.

Instead, he wanted the authorities responsible to carry out the entrusted tasks, he said.

"I've told Samy Vellu that the PWD was responsible for matters related to maintenance, don't quarrel among yourselves, it's embarrassing.

"It's alright if you want to talk it over and carry out the repairs jointly ...what's the point of quarrelling with each other to the extent of the people knowing.

If there's something wrong, talk to each other, cooperate and do it quietly...what's the point of quarrelling in the newspapers, one says they're responsible, the other says it's your problem," he said when commenting on the issue of maintaining government buildings and the leaking roof in Parliament. more

May 21 - A special court in Bangladesh has sentenced the political secretary of a former prime minister to three years in jail, an official has said.

Harris Chowdhury, who has been on the run since the government launched its crackdown on corruption, was found guilty of failing to submit details of his financial affairs as demanded by the authorities.

Chowdhury was Khaleda Zia's political secretary during her second term as prime minister, from 2001 until October 2006.

Golam Fattah, public prosecutor, said: "Judge Ashraf Hossain of special court number five gave the verdict today."

Crackdown

The special courts were set up by the military-backed government last month to try dozens of high-profile political figures charged with corruption.

Chowdhury was ordered to account for his wealth by the anti corruption commission after the military-backed government took power following the imposition of emergency rule in January.

Many others ordered to make similar submissions have been in detention for several months.

Among those arrested are Zia's influential elder son, Tareque Rahman, as well as former ministers and MPs of both Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and rival Sheikh Hasina Wajed's Awami League.

At least half a dozen former ministers are due to be tried at the special courts set up at the national parliament building in the capital.

Chowdhury is the first BNP member to be given a jail sentence.

Last month Shamim Osman, a former Awami League MP, was jailed for three years for failing to submit his financial details.

The new government has vowed to clean up Bangladesh's corruption-riddled politics before holding elections by the end of 2008. Agencies

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, May 20 - The Little Mermaid statue in Denmark's capital was found draped in a Muslim dress and head scarf Sunday morning. Police removed the clothing after a telephone caller reported it, spokesman Jorgen Thomsen said.

Picture- Unknown offenders put a Muslim dress and head scarf on the famed Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen early Sunday May 20 2007, police said. After receiving a telephone call, a police car was dispatched to the site and she was undressed, Copenhagen police spokesman Jorgen Thomsen said. The Little Mermaid was created by Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen in tribute to Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. Sitting on a rock at the entrance of the Copenhagen harbor since 1913, she draws an estimated 1 million visitors a year, and is occasionally targeted by vandals.

In 2004, someone put a burqa, the head-to-toe Islamic robe, on the statue, along with a sign questioning Turkey's bid to join the European Union.

The bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen has sat on a rock in Copenhagen harbor since 1913. AP